Troubles of Chibi Proportion
by Hwoarang Girl
Summary: When a spell goes wrong, Dark Magician is transformed into a chibi; but whilst the other duel monsters attempt to find a cure and keep the truth from Yugi and Yami, the knee-high mage is determined on making it anything but easy for them… PART 5 POSTED!
1. Chapter 1

Troubles of Chibi Proportion By Hwoarang Girl 

**/Summary/** When a spell goes wrong, Dark Magician is transformed into a chibi; but whilst the other duel monsters attempt to find a cure and keep the truth from Yugi and Yami, the knee-high mage is determined on making it anything but easy for them… 

/**Disclaimer**/ I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

**Chapter One**

The Magician of Black Chaos stared at the chibi with dislike, and folded his arms across him chest tightly as his eerie gaze scrutinised the indigo-haired, blue-eyed child that had been made to stand in front of him. The chibi mage didn't hesitate to let the tears of fear that had been welling up in his eyes roll down his face, or stop the whimpers of terror escape his small lips. The duel monsters that were gathered all stood in an uneasy silence, watching the distressed child break under the cold, heartless gaze of Chaos. No one dared to speak out, not wanting to face the wrath of the ritual monster… well, at least until now. Unable to sit by and watch as his transformed friend has the life scared out of him anymore, the Celtic Guardian addressed the Magician of Black Chaos. "Can't you see you're scaring him out of his mind?!" he hissed, glaring hatefully at the black mage as he walked over and bent down to Dark's level, allowing the little mage to seek comfort in his arms, crushing into his chest before he wrapped his arms round him and straightened up, so he was as level as he could be with the taller mage. Chaos simply turned his focus to the elf, easily picking up on the hate and fear the creature had for him. A smirk grew on his face. "I was well aware of that fact," he snarled, sending a shiver down Celtic's spine. An awkward silence, excluding the sound of muffled tears, once again filled the air as Chaos sent a warning glare at the elfin warrior before addressing the whole group. "I want to know what _exactly _happened," he demanded, regarding each creature present coldly, one-by-one, "and get straight to it before I lose my patience." Dark Magician Girl stepped forward, gulping as she looked up at Chaos nervously, "Actually…" she took a deep breath, "I needed to talk to you about that…" Chaos raised an eyebrow at her, and sighed, "I should've guessed it would have something to do with _you_," he raised a hand to his temples and began rubbing them, "You can start from the very beginning NOW." The blonde mage twirled a strand of her soft hair as she began to explain, "Well… what happened is… we were having our usual lesson, and Dark had just about given up on me because I still hadn't grasped what he had been trying to explain, so he turned and began to leave. So I… kinda… read out the spell and accidentally turned him into a chibi… " 

Silence hung in the air as Chaos stared at her callously, "…and why didn't you come straight to me _with _the brat and the book?" he scowled.

Dark Magician Girl sighed, fidgeting in the spot, "…because…he ran away from me…and… I… don't remember which book I read from…"

All attention turned to the chibi mage as Dark giggled, Celtic grimacing as his ears were tug upon.

"He ran away from you…?" the black mage inquired cynically, his patience clearly draining rapidly as the female black mage nodded, "and you _lost the damned book_?!"

Dark Magician Girl nodded again.

"I don't think I want to have to listen to anymore of what has gone on…" Chaos spun on his heel and walked over to the child in question, "I'll see what happened for myself…"

Magician of Black Chaos extended an arm and placed a cold hand on Dark's back, murmuring a spell as the chibi tightened his hold on Celtic's ears in fear.

**_~~Earlier that day~~_**

Dark Magician sighed, raising a hand to his forehead as the blonde beside him grimaced in confusion. 

"Maybe it's about time to end this lesson," he commented as he tangled his slender fingers in his silky indigo locks, "tomorrow we can go over it again, to see if you can pick it up then."

Dark Magician Girl pouted, feeling a little stupid. How was she going to prove to Dark that she could understand this if he kept giving up on her just before she could grasp it? She looked down at the open book in front of her before glancing up at her teacher whom had turned his back to her and began to walk out of the library. 

"Wait!" she called out, "did you mean this one?" she inquired, before beginning to read it out.

Dark's eyes widened and he spun on his heel to face her. 

"No! Don't read it out loud!" he cried in desperation, but to no avail.

When Dark Magician Girl had finished reading it, a bright light filled the room, and she inwardly cringed. After a few seconds the flash dispersed, and the sight that had befallen her made her gasp in shock. 

"Oh…Ra!" she exclaimed, as a pair of unnaturally large blue eyes locked onto her and began to well with tears.

This was definitely _not good. She had turned Dark into a… into a…!_

"Chibi…" she sighed, her heart melting as the knee-high mage sniffled, before scrunching up his face.

Dark Magician Girl squeaked in surprise as the little magician began a deafening wail, tears streaming down his soft small face. She stood for a few seconds, blocking her ears, as her mind raced to find a way of calming the small child before he drew attention to them both. She would be in _a lot of trouble if anyone found out what she had done to her tutor, even if it __was a complete accident… finally, not knowing what else to do, she went with her maternal instincts and ran over, scooping the child up into her arms and gently rocking him, hoping that would be enough to calm the chibi down._

"Shush," she soothed, and the little mage quietened, and let out a sniffle before reaching out a hand.

As the blonde mage let out a sigh of relief and smiled at the cute little chibi in her arms, the mage had decided he had other plans.

_'All I have to do now if take this little fellow to Chaos, explain to him my mistake and, after surviving an extremely long and harsh lecture about my stupidity, get him to help me find a way to reverse the spell…'she grimaced at the thought of the angry Magician of Black Chaos, and didn't notice Dark reach out a tiny hand until it wrapped in her hair and gave it a devastating yank, as hard as he could._

Dark Magician Girl yelped and instinctively raised her hands to cradle her sore scalp, dropping Dark in the process. The chibi happily fell, and after hitting the floor on his bottom and whimpering a little, he rose to his feet and ran outside, crying even louder than before.

The blonde mage caught sight of this, and quickly attempted to scramble after him, momentarily forgetting about the long teal staff that Dark Magician had placed down at the beginning of their lesson, and tripped over it, falling flat onto her face.

She seriously considered tearing all her hair out; this day couldn't get worse if it tried._ 'At least from this view I can see where he's running to… she mused bitterly, before pulling herself off of the floor and resuming the chase._

Unfortunately for her, he was one hell of a fast chibi, and it didn't take him long to reach the beginning of the forestry surrounding where they were. 

Her blue eyed widened in distress as she watched him run in, knowing that with his height and childish-state, he was going to be very much in trouble if she didn't find him, which, if he stopped wailing, was going to be a very hard thing to accomplish…_'you had better come out of this all right,' she sighed, speeding up her pace. _

*                         *                       *                       *                       *                       *

Dark's tears had begun to dry off after he ran into the forest, as his curiosity surfaced, and he began to toddle along, gazing around in awe at the enormous trees that where towering over him, before he caught sight of a creature and paused; scrutinizing it before walking over to it with a finger in his mouth. 

The creature was round, brown and fluffy, with green hands and feet and two huge creepy eyes, and it regarded the mage just as oddly as Dark did it. Both blinked at each other a few times, before the mage slowly reached out a hand, pausing before he poked its right eye.

The Kuriboh squealed in response, causing Dark to squeal too and cover his eyes with his hands for a few seconds, before he dared to look at it again. This time he saw only one big creepy eye, and he sniffled once, before his curiosity got the better of him again and he poked it in the other eye.

The Kuriboh squealed again, shutting the other eye, and Dark squeaked, before running away from it and hiding behind a nearby tree. 

He sniffled a bit more, deciding that Kuriboh was scary, before rubbing his nose and looking around at what lay ahead of him.

His big blue eyes lightened with intrigue, and he quickly trotted over, to get a closer look at what he had spotted. There, in the shade of a gargantuan tree, the Celtic Guardian lay sleeping peacefully on his back. The mage tilted his head as he approached the elf, and let out a small giggle before he leapt onto the elf's stomach and gripped the long elfin ears tightly, giving them a tug.

Celtic woke with a startle, and, when large blue eyes greeted him, let out a shocked cry as he practically had a heart attack. In response to this, Dark let go of the ears and quickly cupped his tiny hands over his eyes, squealing back.   

After a few moments, as the elf calmed down, he lifted the tiny mage off of him, placing him carefully on his feet and sat upright, before gently pulling the small hands from the mage's face and observing him with his amber gaze, before furrowing his brow.

"…Dark?" Celtic questioned, and the mage giggled and nodded in response as he stepped forward.

"Ears!" the mage said, and he grasped onto Celtic's ears _very tightly._

A hiss of pain escaped the elf's lips as this happened, and Dark once again let go, burying his face into his hands and whimpering in fear.

Celtic sighed as he watched the mage cower, and gently placed a hand on the chibi mage's shoulder as he softly spoke to him. "I'm sorry Dark," he lulled, "I didn't mean to scare you,"

Dark opened his fingers out a bit, so he could see the other and sniffled, "…sowwy?" he quietly asked, and took his hands away from face slowly and the elf nodded at him.

"Uh-huh, it's just that my ears are very sensitive and it hurts when you tug them like that," Celtic explained slowly, rising to his feet and crouching down, extending his arms.

Dark slowly walked forward, and Celtic dried off the mage's face with his sleeve before lifting him up.

"C'mon," he sighed as Dark clambered onto his shoulders and held onto his ears, "let's find Chaos and see if he can't figure out what's going on and what can be done about it…"

Dark nodded, and Celtic could sense the mage's reluctance when the grip on his ears slightly tightened,  "…don't like Chaos…" the mage whispered, "he…nasty."

"I know he is," the elf agreed, "but we _have to go and see him," feeling Dark's further reluctance, Celtic devised a quick plan,  "and after, if you want, we can stick neon pink hair dye into his shampoo, so he'll have pink hair the next time he washes it."  _

Dark giggled and agreed, his grip loosening on the elf's ears, much to the warrior's relief.

**_~~ Back to the present time ~~_**

****

Chaos removed his hand and stepped back, shooting a menacing glance at the elf in front of him before addressing the whole group.

"At all costs, master Yugi and Pharaoh must **_not _**find out about this little 'incident'. Whilst Dark Magician Girl," he glared at her momentarily, "and I search for the spell that caused this and any ways of reversing its effects, I'll leave Dark Magician in the 'capable' hands of Celtic Guardian, Soul Release and the mystical Elf to keep out of trouble, and the rest of you can concentrate on keeping this as a secret. Is that clear?"

Everyone agreed with the bad-tempered mage, before beginning to clear the area. As he watched the other monsters leave, Chaos reached out an arm and grabbed the Celtic Guardian.

"If you dare to even_ think _about it, you'll wish you were _never _born." He growled threateningly, causing the elf to grimace and the little mage in his arms whimper at the sound of the harsh tone. 

"Good." He smirked, as a pair of large blue orbs fixated on him, in an unreadable expression.

"Very good," Celtic laughed, after Dark had sneezed all over the other mage, taking both himself and the giggling chibi away from Chaos as quickly as possible.

The older black mage barely managed to conceal the boiling anger he felt, and slowly turned to face a rather nervous Dark Magician Girl.

"_The sooner we get this done_," he hissed venomously, "_the better it will be…_"  ****

**_End of Part 1_**

****

…To Be Continued… 


	2. Chapter 2

**Troubles of Chibi Proportion__**

_By Hwoarang Girl_

**/Summary/** When a spell goes wrong, Dark Magician is transformed into a chibi; but whilst the other duel monsters attempt to find a cure and keep the truth from Yugi and Yami, the knee-high mage is determined on making it far from easy for them… 

/**Disclaimer**/ I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

**/Hwoarang Girl's Notes/ **Here's a link to a picture I drew of chibi Dark, upon _seashell_'s****request for one: http://www.mediaminer.org/fanart/view.php?id=119431 . The whole duck thing is for Raphaelforte if she reads this; in memory of your odd 'duckie' fetish on msn…oh, and 'ear fondling' is such a funny phrase… muahahahaha! Also, just so you know, _Vite, vite = _Faster, faster/ quick, quick (_French_ to English). __

Special thanks to all 27 people who reviewed my first chapter, I'm very grateful! Chapter dedication this time goes to those who have put this story on their favourites!

This is for you: -

Leilani

Adrendei

Silver Wolf

And of course, the ever faithful story lover, Alayea ^-^ 

Chapter 2

Chaos let out a frustrated sigh as Dark Magician Girl laughed insecurely. "Urm…about this… I kind of knocked over a few books when I tripped over Dark's staff…" she smiled sweetly.

The black mage shifted his eyes across the room before him before turning his attention to the young woman. "And how exactly do you define _a few_…?" he questioned.

Dark Magician Girl stepped 'a few' paces away from the magician and looked down at her feet. "Urm...?" she responded.

Chaos looked over at about a half a bookshelf load of scattered books that covered most of the floor, and few more lying upon the table. "Now I'm sure with your grasp of numbers, it won't be too hard to scan though every page of these _few_ books now, would it?" 

Dark Magician Girl gulped, and slowly slid to the floor.

'_Look on the bright side… at least you might come across a spell that will be able to turn Chaos into the size of an ant so you can squish him with one of those books and no one will be the wiser…_' she mused, beginning to see the up side to the situation.

*                         *                       *                       *                       *                       *

Small, rounded fingers curled into a little fist, clenching onto her dress as a yawn escaped the young mouth and the large shimmering blue orbs were veiled by fleshy lids; Soul Release gently rocked the chibi as she softly sung a lullaby, watching as the other tiny hand wrapped itself in a stray lock of her rainbow-coloured hair as the little mage fell asleep against her chest. 

"Who would believe such a fuss could be made over such a timid little thing," Mystical Elf sighed, sitting down beside Soul Release with a soft smile on her face, "he looks so adorable!"

Soul Release glanced down and watched as Dark sighed in his sleep and shifted unconsciously against her, slowly raising a hand to stroke her long slender fingers through the chibi's indigo locks. "Indeed he does," she said quietly, lifting her head up, "but there is always calm before the storm."

The blonde elf tilted her head to the side as she caught the knowing gleam in the other's eyes, "You have…foreseen something?" she questioned.

The other laughed softly.

"No, just my intuition. Dark is always Dark, no matter if he is a young child or not. He has a… talent for getting caught up in most trouble unintentionally."

Mystical Elf giggled, "I see your point."

A comfortable silence filled the room, excluding the hum of soft breathing, and both women soundlessly watched the sleeping chibi mage warmly.

"It's at times like this you wish you had children…" Mystical Elf sighed.

Soul Release smiled to herself, almost knowingly.   

"Though sometimes," Mystical Elf continued, casting her glance at the sleeping elf gracefully curled up on a chair like a cat, green hair falling into his face, "just being friends with these is almost like having your own children." 

Both laughed quietly, enjoying the rare peace of the moment.

*                         *                       *                       *                       *                       *

Black Luster Soldier ran a hand along his long vibrant ponytail, unconsciously twisting the vivid red locks around his finger as he thought. "The only half-decent solution I can think of now," he sighed, dropping his hair and flicking it back over his shoulder, "is finding a way of making a kind of automatic black magic ritual when Dark Magician is called upon, so Magician of Black Chaos is summoned directly in his place."

Summoned Skull folded his arms tightly, "you'd be talking about some serious magic to be able to pull it off," he growled.

Luster smirked, "I know. And seeing as Chaos is rather busy, our next best bet will be Soul Release or the Mystical Elf, " he raised his eyebrows expectantly, "you should get moving as soon as possible. The more time spent dawdling the more likely our masters will figure out what is going on. Chop, chop! Vite, vite! Get your ass out of here! Fly away!"

Summoned Skull widened his eyes, "NO way in hell am I going. Send Gaia, he can ride there."

"I don't think so, I told you to go," Luster said as he grinned mockingly, "besides… I think you could do with the exercise!" 

Summoned Skull let out a growl as he shot out a bolt of lightning, scowling as the redheaded soldier jumped out of the way tauntingly.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" the redhead teased, barely holding in his laughter as he watched the other spread out his wings before storming off, " and don't forget to hurry!" he added, his laughter escaping as he listened to the various distant profanities aimed at him.

*                         *                       *                       *                       *                       *

Blue orbs lit up as they skimmed across the page of the old book, and Dark Magician Girl looked up. "Chaos…" she said, "I think I've found it…" 

Chaos raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean, _think_?"

The blonde mage pouted. At least she was actually _trying _to rectify the situation… "I mean what I said," she answered back, shortly after regretting it as she received a dark glare, "I'm not sure if it sounds right…"

The black mage's eyes widened as the blonde began to say the spell under her breath, attempting to figure out if it was the one she had been searching for. 

"No you foolish girl!" he snapped, "never read out--!"

Dark Magician Girl cringed as she squeaked the end of the last word and realisation hit her. "Oopsies…" she said nervously, turning round to see a very angry, pair of eyes staring at her.

"Quack, quack!" the duck screeched at her as it waddled over to her quickly, pecking at her legs.

"Eeeek! Stop it! Ouch…!" she sniffled, as the livid duck flailed its wings at her before hopping onto the book and glaring at her.

She stood at frowned at the creature as she gently rubbed her leg, only to have the angry duck return to her and peck her some more.

"Okay, okay!" she squeaked, watching as the duck turned back to the book and nudged over a couple of pages, before jumping upon it and signalling to a specific passage.

The blonde girl quickly read it out loud, with the addition of a few yelps as she felt Chaos peck on her flesh attempting to hurry her up, and within a couple of seconds, Chaos was returned to his normal form.

"That's it…" he growled, rubbing his temples, "you can make yourself useful by sitting over in _that _corner, facing the wall and thinking about why you _NEVER_ read a spell out loud when you do not know _exactly _what it does. Do I make myself clear?" 

"It's not my fault someone is stupid enough to make a spell that turns people into ducks..." she commented.

Chaos glared daggers at her.

Dark Magician Girl gave a quick nod and scurried away from Chaos, knowing it was best _not _to get him anymore wound up than he already was. '_Still,' _she thought to herself, '_it was all worth it to see him as a duck…_' and she had to bite on her lip to suppress her giggles.

*                         *                       *                       *                       *                       *

Dark let out a yawn and loosened his grip on the multi-coloured hair as his eyelids fluttered open, revealing his large, shimmering, blue eyes. After raising his now free hand to his face and rubbing it with a pout, he blinked and focused his attention on Soul Release, whom was smiling down at him. "Morning, sweetie," she said softly as she gently held him under his armpits and placed on down on the floor.

"Thankoo…" he commented, as he gave her a cute smile of gratitude, before lifting up a hand and placing a finger into his mouth and looking around.

His eyes lit up with fascination as he caught sight of an object at the other side of the room, and he slowly toddled his way over. When he reached the chair Celtic was curled upon, he carefully climbed up on it, and smiled before he clambered onto the elf's lap, causing him to shift in his sleep slightly, before reaching out his tiny hand and grasping the hilt of the sword and tugging upon it.

"No!" Mystical Elf cried as she leapt up from her seat next to Soul Release.

Her cry startled the chibi and he let go of the sword, tears beginning to well in his eyes as Celtic snapped awake.

Looking at the chibi, the elfin warrior sighed and reached out a hand, sheathing his weapon before lifting the chibi and sitting upright, placing the little mage back on his lap. "It's okay, Dark," he soothed, giving Dark a comforting hug, "Myst didn't mean to scare you…"

Dark let a couple of tears roll down his cheeks before looking up, and with a sniffle, he declared, "I sowwy…"

"I'm sorry too," the blonde elf said softly, as she sat back down, watching as the chibi dried his eyes on Celtic's top before climbing up onto the elf's shoulders with a little bit of help.

"Wanta play…!" the chibi squealed happily, grabbing hold of Celtic's ears.

"Is that so?" Soul Release questioned, watching as the elfin warrior rose to his feet and gently held Dark's legs securely.

Dark nodded, with a grin on his little innocent face, "Uh-huh! You two play too!"

She swiftly rose to her feet, as did Mystical Elf, in compliance to the mage's demands. "I know a nice little area we can play at," she stated, "Follow me."

As all four left the room, Dark leant forward and giggled.

"Chaos hair sould be owange, no pink," the chibi whispered to Celtic.

"You sure?" the elf whispered back with a smile.

"Yep. Chaos clothes sould be pink." Dark whispered slyly.

"Oh, they should?" Celtic retorted, finding it hard not to burst into laughter at the mental image.

"Uh-huh. We go do it pease?"

"Of course, but not now. Later, yeah?"

"Oki!" the chibi said with a giggle, and Soul Release and Mystical Elf both looked round, exchanging glances.

"I hope you boys aren't planning anything," Mystical Elf said, raising an eyebrow at the giggling chibi.

"Nope," both answered, grinning widely, before bursting into laughter.

The blonde elf rolled her eyes as they all continued walking on.

"Boys will be boys," Soul Release said, "you know trouble is sure to follow when they're together..."

"Without a shadow of a doubt," Mystical Elf added, watching Celtic wink to Dark making the chibi laugh even louder. "This really doesn't help our situation."

Mystical Elf paused, and Soul Release placed a hand on her shoulder, "You just wait my dear, you just wait."

*                         *                       *                       *                       *                       *

Having felt a tap on his shoulder, the young boy turned round. His violet eyes regarded the teen behind him.

"Yugi Motou?" the ash-brown haired teen questioned.

Yugi nodded.

"I challenge you to a duel!"

**_End of Part 2_**

****

**… To Be Continued …**


	3. Chapter 3

**Troubles of Chibi Proportion__**

_By Hwoarang Girl_

**/Summary/** When a spell goes wrong, Dark Magician is transformed into a chibi; but whilst the other duel monsters attempt to find a cure and keep the truth from Yugi and Yami, the knee-high mage is determined on making it far from easy for them… 

/**Disclaimer**/ I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

**/Hwoarang Girl's Notes/ **Yes, exams are over! Wahoo! MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone! ^_~__

Special thanks for all 40 reviews I got after I posted the second chapter, here's a glomp for you all! *glomps all her reviewers* Chapter dedication this time goes to the latest people who have this story on their favourites! (I'm afraid I'm behind on pen name changes and will state them as I find 'em, also, if you've added me to your faves and I haven't given you a mention just let me know!)

This is for you: -

person

Blade Liger

Lil-Pink-Mew

Dragon Angel

Chibi and Yami C

no sense in contradicting me

Kaori

Chapter 3

Yugi blinked as he watched the brown-haired boy run off with a smile on his face, before turning round having heard his name being called.

"Yug!" the tall blonde shouted as he slowed his run to a walk, as he neared the other, "where ya been? We were gettin' worried 'bout ya!"

Yugi smiled at the concern of his friends, "Oh, I was arranging some duel. That kid," he explained motioning towards the parting figure, "wanted to have a duel against me tomorrow, for his birthday, down at Kaiba Land. He said he's never seen his creatures as huge holograms, and I couldn't deny him it, especially on his birthday…"

"Ah," Joey stated, as the rest of the gang caught up with them, "that oughta be interesting. Now," he said, grabbing hold of Yugi's arm and beginning to drag him along, "let's get going down to them arcades…"

*                         *                       *                       *                       *                       *           

"Where are you flying to?"

Summoned Skull frowned as the sickeningly sweet voice addressed him, and growled as a delicate smile greeted him as Change of Heart flapped her mismatched wings in front of him.

"It's none of your concern," he hissed, ushering her away with a quick push and flying onward. 

The petit blonde giggled and soared past the other beast, spinning round so they were face to face. "But I'm curious," she said, blinking her large blue eyes innocently.

Summoned Skull scoffed at her, and flew on.

Change of Heart giggled, tilting her head as she continued to fly along, "You might want to listen to me," 

 Summoned Skull growled in frustration as he snapped at her, "I think not! Leave me alone!"

 Change of Heart stopped and pouted, watching as the other monster flew off. "That wasn't very nice," she said to no one in particular, "and he's going the wrong way. Oh well, perhaps I should go to that adorable chibi and tell the others that Summoned Skull was looking for them," she blinked, considering this for a moment, " Yes, I believe I will." 

And after one more round of giggling, she happily flew in the other direction, a mischievous plan developing in her mind.

*                         *                       *                       *                       *                       *

"Chaos…oh Chaos…Chaaaaaoooosssss!" the blonde mage sung, having been bored of sitting and doing nothing except twiddling her hair for the past twenty minutes after her trail of thoughts grew tedious. 

The other mage looked up, sighing as the seemingly endless chorus continued, Dark Magician Girl using tones he didn't even know existed. "What?!" he finally snapped, tearing his attention away from the pile of books in front of him to the blonde.

She smiled prettily, "If I were to, say…read this," she reached out and took the first book she could, opening it on a random page, "but changing the 'oh' and 'us' sounds to 'ai' and 'ili' sounds, would something still happen?"

Magician of Black Chaos regarded her oddly, "No. I don't have time for stupid questions, so be quiet."

Dark Magician Girl raised a slender eyebrow, "so you wouldn't have any problems if I read this out making those changes?"

"Yes, now keep your mouth shut."

"But if it wouldn't work, why would you have a problem with it?" she continued thoughtfully.

"Are you quite contempt making my existence a misery?"

"Actually, I think you'll find you do a pretty good job of that yourself… so, explain!"

Chaos furrowed his brow and sighed, "Just do it then if it will make you that happy," he growled.

"Yay!" she cheered, beaming as she cleared her voice, before attempting it.

And of course, it sounded absolutely ridiculous, and apparently made no sense what so ever, yet once she was done a familiar flash occurred.

"It is really beginning to annoy me how you can do that," he glanced around, feeling shock as everything was registered as normal, "now, to find out what that so-called 'spell' of yours has actually d--"

His eyes quickly averted away from the open doorway and Dark Magician Girl's focus immediately went there.

And she gasped.

Then blinked.

Then continued to stare, a blush rising on her cheeks.

 "Close your mouth and stop drooling," Chaos commented, not looking back.

A pair of large familiar eyes looked around, set in a face of milky flesh. Long, silver hair draped over a bare back with the exception of two falling locks that framed the long face and hung down, conveniently blocking the view of more pale flesh as the figure stood on all fours.

The figure tilted his head, his lips slightly parted and his canine fangs glimmering as they caught the light.

"I believe," Chaos began, as the blonde mage continued to watch as the figure blinked, turned round and began to crawl off, "that was Silver Fang. Only in human form."

"Uh-huh," Dark Magician Girl said, paying no attention to the other whatsoever.

"Explain to me one thing," Chaos sighed, knowing that he was going to end up having clear up more mess, "why did anyone allow you to come anywhere near magic?"

*                         *                       *                       *                       *                       *           

Okay, so the first thing he noticed was it was cold.

He couldn't smell as well either.

Everything felt different… strange… and his hands and knees were beginning to ache.

'Wait…!'

Since when did he have hands and kneecaps? And since when did he think about such things? Silver Fang blinked his large eyes as he stopped on the spot, before scanning himself over.

'Oh…I knew something wasn't right…' he blinked.

After a bit of consideration, he straightened up, and shakily rose onto his feet, taking a wobbly step forward. 

"Ooh…" 

*                         *                       *                       *                       *                       *           

"Bless," soul Release sighed as she watched the indigo-haired chibi run as fast as his tiny legs would allow him up the grassy hill and pause, to look down in wonder before lying on the grass and rolling back down with a joyful giggle until he could go no further on account of Mystical Elf's legs.

The blonde elf blinked, and bent down to give Dark a hand rising to his feet.

 "Having fun?" she questioned with a smile.

Dark nodded his head vigorously, messing his hair up even more, "Yup!" he exclaimed, flailing his small arms for enthusiasm.

"That's all very nice, little one," Soul Release said as she walked over, "but I will not understand how you could make such a green grass stain on clothing that is dark purple!"

The child shrugged, smiling adorably, "'cause I special!"

"That you are," she continued, giving Dark a pat on the shoulder, "but perhaps you should concentrate your energy into something other than rolling down the hillside," she glanced over at the worn, flattened grass trail leading down, "you're beginning to leave a clear 'roll' way on the landscape."

"Oki…" the chibi sighed, before his large blue eyes perked up as he watched Celtic scale a nearby tree with ease, jumping light-footedly from branch to branch until he found a suitable one and sat perched upon it.

He smiled innocently at both females before toddling off.

Mystical Elf clasped her arms and she watched him move, before turning her attention to the rainbow-haired other standing beside her. "I'm beginning to fret," she said, " he hasn't gotten himself into any real trouble yet,"

"I concur… We had better keep a close eye on him…there is one main fear that shadows my mind yet I can't place it…" Soul Release shrugged it off, "But what can we do except watch and hope?"

Dark, meanwhile, had finally reached the tree and was staring up at the long, thick, gnarling boughs. "Celty!" he called, "me up too! Pease?"

The elfin warrior leant forward from his place on the branch with a smile, "You sure? You're not afraid of heights are you?" he questioned light-heartedly.

"Me no afwaid! " the chibi retorted, attempting to show just how brave he was by standing as tall and straight as his little form could, "me go up now?"

Celtic quickly jumped down a few branches and off of the tree, bending down next to Dark. "If you climb on my back, and hold tightly, I'll take you up as long as you don't let go, okay?"

"Yup!" the chibi exclaimed, just as Soul Release walked over.

"I hope you'll be careful up there," she addressed the little mage, "and before I forget, I have something to give you both when we get back."

Large blue eyes sparkled with intrigue and Dark jumped on the spot, "What? What?"

"Pink and orange dye. But if anyone questions I did not give it to you, okay?"

"Oki!" the mage squeaked with excitement as Soul Release bent down so Dark could give her a cuddle, "Myst and myself are heading back now, so you're looking after Dark," she lifted her gaze to the elf's, and waited for a nod of acknowledgement before turning her attention back to the chibi, "and you'll need to look after him. He's troublesome, so if he gets too adventurous you have permission to tell him off, okay?"

Dark giggled, watching as Celtic pulled a face, "Oki!"

"Bye," she finished as she straightened up and gave a little wave before walking over and joining with the other retreating figure.

"Chaos look good when done! Yay!" the chibi exclaimed as he leapt onto the other's back and clutched onto the long elfin ears, "We go up tree now!"

"Okay, okay," Celtic laughed, "be patient,"

…Some time later…

The elf raised an eyebrow at the chibi he had held in his arms as the sat, perched on a thick branch resting against the trunk of the tree. The chibi giggled as he put another leaf on Celtic's head, inspecting it closely.

"And just what are you up to, mister?" the elf said as one arm wrapped around the chibi holding him safely as he used the other to tickle the little ribs, extracting numerous giggles from the now squirming mage.

"I--I!" Dark managed to spurt out in between giggles before the elf stopped his attack, " "Leaf nearly same colour of your hair," he finally said breathlessly, "I check."

"Oh, indeedy?" Celtic questioned poking the mage's nose.

"Ideedy-do!" the little one giggled in response as he pushed away the other's hand.

Abruptly, Celtic's attention shifted from the chibi sitting on him and noticing this, Dark turned around. After spending a few seconds scrutinising the newly appeared monster hovering in the air, Dark nestled in closer to Celtic and began to whisper to him, "Why that lady have diffwent wings? And why she dark on one side?"

Change of Heart looked darkly at the pair, and tilted her head as Dark stared at her with anxious curiosity, locking her eyes with the chibi's for a brief moment. Dark whimpered and buried his head into Celtic's chest, who drew him arms around the little mage protectively.

"What do you want?" he demanded, the softness in his tone and expression fading out quickly, as he noted that the darker side of the monster was in control and was scaring Dark considerably.

"I was searching for Soul Release and Mystical Elf, but they appear not to be here, though it is my guess they're not too far from here," Celtic shot her a warning glare as her eyes lingered over the tiny form clinging to the elf in his arms, "…interesting…"

A muffled whimper escaped from the chibi, and the elf continued his hostility with Change of Heart. "Perhaps you should go and find them then, if your search has brought you this far," he hissed.

A sneer etched onto the woman's face, and she turned her back to the pair, looking back over her shoulder, " Perhaps," she said in a chillingly soft tone, before flying along.

A few seconds later, a tiny voice finally spoke out, "she gone yet?" and a head of indigo hair slightly turned, so one little rounded cheek rest against the elf's chest and the large blue eyes were revealed and looked up anxiously.

"Yeah, she's gone Dark," Celtic said softly and offered the chibi mage a smile, loosening an arm from round the small body to soothingly stroke the little one's silky hair.

Dark relaxed his death grip on the other's top and leant into the touch, silently sitting there with shaky breaths.

"It'll be okay," Celtic said softly as he noted the behaviour, "you don't need to fear big meanies like her, do you know why?"

The large saddened blue eyes lifted and met with a warm amber gaze, "why…?" the chibi asked quietly.

"Because," the elf soothed, letting the hand that had been running through the little one's soft strands drop, "I'll always be here to protect you from them."

The large blues eyes brightened, and a small smile graced Dark's lips as he lay back against the other, pulling the arm that had stayed around him with him as he did so. "Promise?" he asked, his voice and face filled with hope.

"Promise." The elf confirmed with a nod and a warm smile, taking a little hand into his and giving it a gentle squeeze, 'it's the least I could do for you, my best friend, after you have done the same for me for so many millennia.'

Suddenly, hearing a gasp of awe and sensing a tingle on his hand clutching Dark's, Celtic looked down and blinked as realisation hit him.

A faint dark purple surge of magic had flowed throw the chibi mage's arm.

'A chibi with magic… this could mean trouble...'

The elf then blinked again as the chibi giggled mischievously.

**End of Part 3**

… To Be Continued …


	4. Chapter 4

**Troubles of Chibi Proportion__**

_By Hwoarang Girl_

**/Summary/** When a spell goes wrong, Dark Magician is transformed into a chibi; but whilst the other duel monsters attempt to find a cure and keep the truth from Yugi and Yami, the knee-high mage is determined on making it far from easy for them… 

/**Disclaimer**/ I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

**/Hwoarang Girl's Notes/ **Sorry I haven't updated for a while, I'm drowning in coursework for my GCSE's this year… so, due to my instability of updating, I present to you…

**/Update Notice/ Leave an e-mail address in your review or send me a quick e-mail to: _celtic_guardian_gurly@hotmail.com entitled 'ToCP Updates' or something similar, and I will automatically send you an e-mail and link when I do get round to updating, so you know exactly when I have updated. _**

Also, take note this chapter's flashback is set before the first Shadow Games, okay?

Special huge thank you for all reviews! I have 106 in total now! *Huggles her reviewers to bits * Chapter dedication this time goes to the latest reviewers to add this story to their ff.net faves! This is for you: -

Yami Tenshi

Shinimegami

Dark Magician Girl

Baby Winter (sorry it's taken so long for me to mention you! I know the feeling of having too many stories on faves… thanks for having it on you msn faves ^-^)

Also, I have a few extra comments! You can find them at the end of this chapter!

Chapter 4

Amber eyes clenched shut as the elf hit the floor with a loud thud, grimacing as he felt the brunt of the plummet on his back. He loosened his hold on the chibi mage he had taken all of the fall for, waiting until the surprised youngster clambered off of him before he attempted to pull himself into a sitting position.

Celtic let out a groan as his body protested to his movement, looking around on the floor at the crisp remains of boughs and the fluttering leaves slowly descending from the partly smouldered tree, before turning his attentions to the indigo-haired child whimpering as he regarded the mess he had caused.

"Dark," he sighed, wincing slightly as he extended out his arms, "come here," he said softly, watching as the chibi sniffled and nodded, before walking over and cuddling the elf.

"My bad?"

"No, you're not bad," the elf soothed, wiping a tear off of the mage's face.

Having sniffled twice, Dark proceeded on wiping his nose and face on Celtic's top before clambering up onto the elf's shoulders and holding tightly onto the long elfin ears. 

"C'mon, let's get back, okay?" Celtic said, pulling himself to his feet as he supported the chibi on his shoulders.

"Oki…" the mage replied quietly.

A small smile flashed pearly fangs as a slight zephyr played with long, flowing silver tresses; Silver Fang had just about mastered walking on two legs with a fair amount of balance and was adjusting to the lessening of his some of his senses, and the confusing whirl of odd and quirky thoughts within his mind.

This was turning out to be somewhat of an adventure – though he found it slightly unnerving that he was often greeted by wide-eyed stares and some gawping as he passed other monsters; maybe it had to do with the lack of the pointless clothing and armour the more human like creatures wore. But he had always walked around bare… why did it matter so much now?

Silver Fang stopped on the spot, spinning on his heels to face the newcomer that was approaching from his blind side, his lips lifting into a snarl, his deadly fangs now bared as he growled warningly.

A high-pitched amused giggle rung through the air, as the silver-haired creature relaxed and the pretty smile returned, and the elfin warrior blinked whilst the chibi mage continued to laugh hysterically.

'I'm beginning to think nothing can surprise me anymore,' Celtic mentally noted, placing Dark on the floor before unfastening his cloak and throwing it over the unconcealed other, "Come with us, Silver," he sighed.

The tiny mage walked over to Silver Fang, who now had the dark blue cloak wrapped round his lithe shoulders concealing most of his flesh, and gazed up with intrigue. Silver Fang, recognising the chibi as the Dark Magician, bent down to observe what all the fuss had been made over earlier. As Silver did this, the chibi 's face lit up as his suspicions mounted.

"Celty, this Siver? Really?" the chibi questioned.

The elf nodded in response.

"Why is Siver a people?"  Dark then asked.

"That's what I'd like to know…" Celtic murmured half in thought; decidedly thinking this day had already been too eventful for the sake of his sanity.

"Oki!"

Celtic couldn't help but smile as he watched what now unfolded; the chibi mage rose out a hand and began to pet the now humanised Silver Fang's head, ruffling the silver tresses as the other in question leant into the touch, just in the same kind of way Dark had and would always pet the silver wolf.

It gave the elf hope that things would return to normal soon… but more importantly, it gave his aching, sensitive ears freedom from the small magician's death grip. 

*                     *                       *                       *                       *                       *

The Mystical Elf's long blonde locks swung as she turned her head and met eyes with Change of Heart. The blue-skinned elf tilted her head to the side, "Can I help you?" she questioned.

Change of Heart's large blue eyes sparkled as they caught the light and she smiled happily, "Actually," she began warmly, "I think I can be of help to you!" 

"Yes…?" the elf questioned, a little bewildered with the sudden bursts of giggles the winged monster in front of her emitted.

"Summoned Skull was looking for you, to deliver some important message, but, bless the dear, he flew off in the wrong way. I tried to tell him, but for some reason he wouldn't listen, so I thought I'd come tell you. Heehee."

"…Thank you for the warning."

"That's okay! Am I being presumptuous in thinking this has everything to do with that adorable little mage I encountered on my way here?"

Mystical Elf frowned, and the other responded only with a dark smile.

"I thought as much," the blonde visitor commented, her tone of voice chillingly calm compared to her previous hyperactive rambling.

Without another word, Change of Heart flew off, and Soul Release approached the elfin woman from behind, "Perhaps we should pay Luster a visit; last I heard he was working on a temporary solution."

The blonde elf agreed silently, and the pair wasted no time in setting off.

*                     *                       *                       *                       *                       *

By the time the trio consisting of the elfin warrior, chibi mage and the now human wolf returned to the comfort of the indoors, Soul Release and Mystical Elf had been long gone, and they had found the room where they had last left them deserted. 

But it seemed none could care less, and Celtic automatically collapsed onto the biggest chair in the room, lounging lazily upon it as Silver Fang retreated to a cosy corner and curled up in it contently, drifting off into a nap, leaving the chibi magician happily attempting to build a runway with cushions and pull off forward rolls upon them.

Dark let out a joyous giggle as his fourth attempt left him yet again veering to the side in a very undignified manner, before pulling a face at the laughing elf on the chair.

Dark's young face twisted into an expression that could only be described as a mischievous pout-scowl hybrid. No one mocked him and got away with it.

After the chibi blew a raspberry, he picked up the nearest cushion to hand and threw it at Celtic, quickly feigning innocence. Celtic sat upright, a playful glimmer in his amber eyes as he responded to the mask of innocence the young mage wore with a scandalised look.

Dark instantly scanned the room and made a move to find a hiding spot, but the elfin warrior quickly moved and caught him before he could, lifting him up into the air.

"Do you know what happens to impish little magicians who through cushions at other people?"

Dark shook his head quietly, and the elf smiled, placing the child on the floor and kneeling down to his level.

"Tickle torture!" 

The young mage squealed in hysterical laughter, squirming in attempt to escape the relentless tickling, to no avail. 

"Do you give in?" the elf asked playfully, and when the chibi managed to let out a somewhat breathless 'No', the tickling increased and the laughter grew louder. 

"Give up!!! Give up!" Dark finally managed to squeak in between fits of giggles.

"Say please," came the response.

"Pease!!!!"

Celtic grinned mischievously; still not giving in, " Say mercy!"

"Mercy!! Pease!!"

"Well…" the elf teased, before finally stopping his attack, "since you did ask so nicely,"

The chibi mage proceeded in pouting, crossing him arms and pulling a face at the elf. "You mean."

"Well, if I'm mean then I shouldn't have stopped tickling you…"

Dark squeaked, crawling to the other side of the room as fast as he could before Celtic could get hold of him again.

The elf laughed with amusement, before returning to his seat.

 "…Celty?" Dark called out, his face lighting up.

"Yeah?"

"We go dye Chaos now?"

Celtic grinned, fumbling around for the two vials, to check they were still there. "Sure!"

The elfin warrior couldn't help but laugh as a familiar expression appeared on the mage's face – it was usually referred to as the 'Chaos killer' look, as anyone who had been around Dark enough would have recognised it as the exclusive look applied only to situations which involved some kind of mischief, disobedience or annoyance directed towards the Magician of Black Chaos.

After picking up the chibi and getting to his feet and beginning the trip to Chaos' dwelling, Celtic's mind replayed the first time he had seen the look.

~ Flashback~

Chin length lime-green hair tucked behind a pair of long, elegant elfin ears bounced as a pair of keen amber eyes scanned the forest floor from the safety of the tree bough the elf was perched upon.  The young warrior furrowed his brow as more of the wild creatures ran below his position, fleeing from whatever lay not to far ahead from him as his acute sense of hearing picked up on a pair of raised voices – though he was too far to hear the words that were being exchanged, he could tell the conversation was anything but pleasant.

Still, despite his common sense nagging him to turn around and leave it be, his intrigue was stronger, and so he straightened up, judging the distance and positioning of the nearest outstretching branch from a neighbouring tree that could hold his weight, before leaping across to it, pausing a second to regain his balance before repeating the process and moving closer to the scene.

When he finally came into earshot, his movements because more stealthy and hushed, as he listened in on what was being said whilst closing the gap between them so he could see what was going on for himself.

"You should not have-"

"It was my decision to make! You don't need to keep treating me like a child!"

"I will treat like one as long as you act like one! You are still young, thus you act too much on impulse, your powers are unfocused and dangerous, and you are full of insolence! You're a high level Dark Spellcaster, and other monsters' fear of you is a hazard to yourself, and then there's the powerful dragons!"

The young elfin warrior froze on the spot. Dark Spellcasters! If they caught sight of him spying on them, he was as good as dead! He looked over to them, and made a mental note to kick himself if he lived long enough to do so. He was perched in a tree that formed part of the line that was surrounding the clearing both black mages stood, and any sudden movement or audible sound on his part was definitely not advisable. He was going to have to wait until they were gone to make a safe escape…

"That's your opinion!" the second of the Dark Spellcasters argued, his young porcelain face contorted in a defiant scowl, icy-blue eyes glaring from under his fringe whilst a hand unconsciously ran through his longish indigo silken hair.  He was quite tall and slender, very lithe in build and clad in purple, and clutched a long teal staff tightly.

"And that's precisely why you should heed it! I have learned it from experience!" the first of the black mages retorted, his eerie pink eyes returning the glare, which was enforced by the contrast made by his discoloured skin, and raven wild locks.

"Well I want to learn for myself, from my own experiences!" the young mage countered.

Unfortunately for the young elf perched in the tree, any further heated discussion between the two Dark Spellcasters was abruptly cut off when he realised he was balanced upon a branch on the verge of breaking, and before he could move safely to another, the one sound he dreaded more than anything rung out.

CRACK.

The tensioned glare shared between the two mages was broken, as both gazes automatically fixed to the source of the crashing sound hat had followed the snap of the bough.  

The elfin warrior could barely breathe as the throbbing pain of injuries caused by the plummet overcame his body, the cold, haunting stares of the black mages bore into him, and realisation that his last defence, his sword, was lying about four metres behind him, out of his grasp.

He could barely focus on the words that were now being exchanged between the pair, and could only make out the numerous gesturing towards him, as the waves of pain continued to course through him.

What was taking so long? If they were insistent on doing something to him, did they really have to keep taking for so long and did the taller, older freaky one have to keep sending him death glares?

The elf raised a hand to his head, "Look, your arguing is really getting pointless. Old freaky mage, it's his life and whatever you say is obviously going to have no affect on him whatsoever, and as touching as it is that you want to protect him, he's going to have his own way. And please, if you're going to kill me or leave me half dead in a pool of my own blood or whatever you do, please can you get it over with already? Incase you couldn't tell, I'm in a lot of pain here, my ears are ringing, I can't reach my sword and I have about twenty splinters in my buttocks alone. Thank you for listening, it's much appreciated."

Both dark Spellcasters stared at him in silence, before the fair purple clad mage broke out into a bright smile aimed towards the elf that had fallen out of the tree, before spinning round to the other mage with an expression made up of defiance, determination, scorn, amusement and smugness rolled into one.

"So long Chaos," the young mage said, "I think I've found myself a travelling companion."

And before he knew it, the elf found himself being dragged away rebelliously from 'Chaos', by the indigo-haired mage, still sitting on the floor.

After a few more meters were covered, the elf finally found his voice.

"Excuse me, I mean no offence when I say this, but I do have two working legs."

The mage stopped, his grip released, flushing slightly with embarrassment. "Sorry, it wasn't fair of me to drag you away like that, or be so presumptuous. I was caught in the moment there…" he trailed off as the elf got to his feet wincing slightly, " hold still, I know a good healing spell."

The mage quickly placed his hands on the elf's shoulders, and chanted an incomprehensible string of words and a mixture of purple and white jumping light surged through the mage's arms. After a momentary lapse in consciousness, the elf found his pain gone and the other smiling warmly at him.

"I'm known as the Dark Magician. Dark is just fine," he said, offering a hand.

The elf reached out one of his and grasped the other's tightly in a warrior's hold, "Celtic Guardian.  Just call me Celtic."

~ End Flashback~

"Celty!"

A sudden giggle broke Celtic out of his reminiscence, as they stood in front of Chaos' home. 

There, the chibi magician and the elfin warrior, armed with tangerine orange and neon pink dyes, set to work on their righteous mission.

End of Chapter 4…

To Be Continued.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

/Continued Notes from H.G./ another chapter finally done! This was written to be about a third longer than usual… I couldn't resist the flashback. It was sudden inspiration and I just had to write it!  So, there is my apology for being such a slow updater - longer chapters! Will that be okay with you all? Next chapter should lead up to the duel… Heehee. The chapter after that has the most brilliant ending… I'm dying to say but I do not reveal key plot scenes, but nether-the-less, I can't wait to write an post it, so the next two updates should be a lot quicker than this one. At the moment my GCSE coursework is a priority *sighs* sorry!

To Achika-chan, in response to your comment in your review, that is a very tempting prospect, especially considering I have already written one of the sorts and am in the process of doing another… but I couldn't do that now, having not stated it from the beginning and leading on people who might not appreciate it. But, if any of you want it, I can write a lovely little yaoi side-story, which can perfectly slot in with this yet is not required to read as part of this, so it is optional to whether you read it, and will mean this stays yaoi free for those who read this only, yet yaoi to those who read the side-story and pick up on links within this.  Anyone interested in me doing this?

Also, anyone of you with YGO fan fiction the either centres around or features the Duel Monsters would you be willing to mail it to me at: **_celtic_guardian_gurly@hotmail.com_** for archiving on my new site, 'Delusion's Caress' – see my bio for a link to it- a Duel Monster-centric one? It's too empty at the moment, as I'm afraid I've only just got round to looking for some material! I have about 7 stories posted so far, with 5 more on their way… Contributions (both yaoi & non-yaoi) are greatly appreciated! Pretty please? 

*Gets big, sparkly blue eyes and looks at you hopefully*

Chibi Dark: *tugs on your leg* Pease??? *Blinks his large, alluring blue eyes*

Celtic: Ah well, might as well join 'em. Please? *Looks at you cutely*

Green Phantom King: And don't forget me, H.G.! *joins in too*


	5. Chapter 5

**Troubles of Chibi Proportion**

_By Hwoarang Girl_

**/Summary/** When a spell goes wrong, Dark Magician is transformed into a chibi; but whilst the other duel monsters attempt to find a cure and keep the truth from Yugi and Yami, the knee-high mage is determined on making it far from easy for them...

/**Disclaimer**/ I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

**/Hwoarang Girl's Notes/ **I am actually alive... I'm so sorry for my absence! I'll be happy if ANYONE is actually going to read this, it's as much as I deserve for abandoning you all for so long! I can at least say it wasn't intentional. But, that is in the past! On to the writing, and the future! :grins:

EDIT: I'm clarfiying things that confised people. Sorry folks, I have been out of the game for over a year... ; I've also changed the structure, to allow better flow. Heehee.

**This chapter dedicated to everyone who has waited so patiently for updates**

And finally, to the wonderful people who sent me e-mails, if there is anything I can do for you, or write for you or whatnot just drop me a line! You know who you are!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Yugi cautiously walked along, venturing deeper and deeper into Yami's dark and complex soul room, making sure he didn't activate any of the numerous booby-traps hidden within its confines. The teen was fuelled with determination and he continued on, his reasons for venturing into such a mysterious, potentially dangerous place deemed important to him. _'I wish to know...more about Yami.' _

He aimed to either prompt the pharaoh to speak more or to find a certain someone who possibly could share a few words of the past with him. He had no other activities to preoccupy himself with, and an upcoming duel to prepare for, and this was something he had needed to do sooner or later. _'Yami is such a mystery... and as long as he remains that way... our bond will always stay weaker than it could be.'_ He respected, and cared for the ancient spirit dearly, but still felt as if there was a huge schism yet to be jumped. _'I hope...he can understand that.´_ Of course, he wouldn't force anything out, but being curious and acting upon that, within reason, would do no harm, right?

Yugi paused on the spot thoughtfully, before blinking his large violet eyes and continuing on. _'Now, if I recall from the time Shadi came in here... I should find the tablets...this way!'_

* * *

The Magician of Black Chaos was surprised, to say the least, when the peace was broken by a frantic Celtic Guardian bursting in. Securing his mask of calm, the spellcaster turned round, his gaze fixating on the elf swordsman. By the look of despair that was plastered across Celtic's face Chaos instantly decided he wouldn't like what he was going to hear, but pressed on regardless. "Was there any particular reason for such an entrance?" he questioned smoothly. 

Celtic stopped on the spot, and meeting Chaos' gaze he answered worriedly, "Dark...! He's...he's...gone..." he trailed off, his tone having grown more desperate as he spoke.

One moment, they had been walking, just outside of the Chaos' place, and suddenly, in a flash, the petit spellcaster has just...vanished. The elf, knowing only two instances in which this would happen, and knowing one of them was not possible paniced, and headed straight to his current location.

At this revelation, a peculiar, indefinable expression passed over Chaos' face, and the corners of his tightly drawn lips twitched. Backing away cautiously, the elf swordsman held his breath, expecting some kind of eruption to follow. After a few moments passed, and still the uncomfortable silence lingered, Celtic found his hand moving towards the hilt of his weapon, waiting for his imminent doom.

Instead, in a disturbingly neutral tone, Chaos spoke out again. "By 'gone', what_ exactly_ are you getting at? Gone as in missing, or gone as in..." trailing off, Chaos directed the full force of his eerie pink glare at the elf.

Celtic winced and hesitated, and before he could find his voice, Chaos' face had darkened with anger, and dark magic sparked angrily as it coursed through the now clenched fists. "Why," Chaos snarled through gritted teeth, "didn't anyone think of telling me his powers weren't affected by his transformation?"

The dark spellcaster had caught on quickly, and knew this could only mean trouble. They had made a temporary solution in battle summoning, but hadn't, and were unable to, make a temporary solution to another important kind of summoning.

"We...we didn't think he had any control over them... Mystic and Soul Release came to the conclusion that it was of no concern...Dark only showed signs of being able to turn magic into a little, destructive blast, and not consciously or with enough power to be a danger... and said that there was no need to bother you whilst you were busy looking for a cure..." Celtic spoke, waiting apprehensively for Chaos to respond.

Chaos, however, said nothing for a moment, his anger dissipating - at least it appeared to have on the surface. After taking a deep breath, the mage made a gesture of dismissal at the elf. "Go," he said, his voice laced with authority, "and speak with Luster. Find out how much progress he has made, and return to me with news. There's nothing more we can do for now."

After pausing, a look of concern was shared between the pair before Celtic nodded and quickly exited, glad that the mage hadn't asked about his previous whereabouts when the chibi had first disappeared, and for a moment Chaos wondered where the elf's cape had gone, but brushed the thought aside, labeling it as pointless.

Turning his attention back to the task at hand, the Magician of Black Chaos silently prayed that Dark wasn't discovered by the pharaoh, or there would be havoc. _'We can only hope there's no repeat of...that incident.' _The spellcaster shook his head and let out a depressed sigh before getting to work.

* * *

Now, the Black Luster Soldier had known that association with spellcasters meant a lot of _odd_ sights – after all, he had seen practically everything whilst keeping company with the Magician of Black Chaos in the days before servitude underneath Yami– but he was not prepared for this one. He did a double take, before shaking his head and deciding it was better to not ask as he noticed the pearly canines and a rather familiar cape wrapped round the otherwise bare body. The redheaded warrior looked over to his two female companions. "Shall we continue then, current interruption put aside?"

The Mystical Elf giggled, before tearing her eyes away from the humanized Silver Fang and nodding. "As you wish," she chirruped.

"Well, as I was saying," Luster continued, only to pause again, furrowing his brow. "Wait...where is Summoned Skull?" he had sent the fiend monster to fetch the two women in his company, but had just realized he was no where in sight. "Ah well..." Shaking his head, he then resumed, dismissing the sudden thought spoken out loud. "I think I may be onto something..."

* * *

Celtic raced along, his good stamina allowing him to travel along at a swift pace with ease. _'I can't believe Dark did that... I hope he's alright...' _the elf wondered if the small form and child's mentality would cause any problems for his friend; just how much control did Dark have over his magic currently? Was he able to cope with the backlash in such a state?

The situation had the elf so worried he hadn't even cared that his poor ears were free of the petit mage's death grip.

"Huh...?" Celtic suddenly came to halt and spun around, his amber orbs scanning the surrounding area meticulously. "I could have sworn..." he murmured, before turning to face the other way, letting out a sigh of relief as the Summoned Skull landed, shutting his wings before walking over.

"Have you seen Soul Release, or the Mystical Elf?" the fiend questioned gruffly.

"Not for a while, sorry." The elf swordsman replied, before narrowing his eyes. "Do you get the feeling we're being watched?" he asked quietly.

Summoned Skull seemed to consider just continuing on for a moment, but then decided against it. "What do you mean?" he asked none-too-gently.

Celtic would have advised him to remain quiet and alert, if it wasn't for Change of Heart deciding that she would make herself known before either could spot her first. "Ooh, lookie here!" she giggled brightly, each step she took practically a bounce. "You know," after a twirl she came to a stop, "that you've missed Mystical Elf and Soul Release? They seem to be way ahead of you," she gestured towards the Celtic Guardian, "oh, but... wherever is that _adorable _little mage? You seemed unwilling to let him out of your sight, so why now? Wait... need I ask? I think your expression says it all..." the woman smiled a sickeningly sweet smile.

Summoned Skull let out a growl, and Change of Heart tutted as a bolt of lightning narrowly missed her. "Well now, you could have just asked politely! I can see when I'm not wanted!" she huffed with a pout, before flying off, but not without meeting the elf's gaze and returning the look with a chilling one of her own.

It was time for her to move from merely observing and commenting here and there, to taking some real action, she thought.

* * *

Yugi, after recognizing the corridor he had been searching for, quickened his pace, his short legs carrying him to where the big stone tablets started lining the pathway to a large door. _'Now...how do I do this again?'_ Walking along, the teen scrutinized each ancient tablet with unconcealed interest, before stopping in front of one in particular: the Dark Magician.

Then teen would never forget seeing the Dark Magician there, his teal staff extended, poised for attack, or how the mage then responded to him, and lowered it - that was an obvious indicator of a consciousness beyond just following orders, and thusly, Yugi had come to the decision that it was worth trying to communicate with the spellcaster, to see if he could find out anything more about the enigma that was Yami.

Yugi then raised a slender hand and touched the cold stone, startling slightly at the light that suddenly flashed.

He then turned, expected to see one thing, only to find another. The teen face-faltered, looking adorably gormless, and was greeted with a childish squeal of delight followed by a bright giggle of amusement.

Yugi could only blink in bewilderment as, in a flurry of purple hair and tiny limbs, his legs were glomped mercilessly, to the point that his balance was lost and he tumbled to the ground, chibi mage still attached.

Sufficed to say, he had certainly not expected that.

* * *

**End of Chapter 5**

**_...To Be Continued..._**

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